KiK

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For other uses, see Kik Messenger.
KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH
Type GmbH
Industry Retail
Founded April 1994
Founder(s) Stefan Heinig, Tengelmann Group
Headquarters Bönen, Germany
Key people Stefan Heinig (CEO)
Products Clothing
Revenue € 1.2 billion
Employees 20,000 approx.
Website Official website

KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH is a textile discounter based in Bönen, Germany, founded in 1994 by Stefan Heinig and the holding company Tengelmann Group.[1]

KiK is the largest textile discounter chain in Germany and operates about 3,200 stores in Germany, Austria (since 1998), Slovenia and Czech Republic (since 2007), Hungary and Slovakia (since 2008), Croatia (since 2011) and Poland (since March 2012).[2]

KiK is an acronym for "Kunde ist König" (English: The customer is king).[3]

Sponsoring

KiK Headquarters in Bönen

KiK have, in the past, sponsored a number of football teams, namely Arminia Bielefeld, Werder Bremen, Hansa Rostock and VfL Bochum.[4] They currently sponsor referees of the Austrian Football Bundesliga and in January 2009 also sponsored the German national team at the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship.[5]

Verona Pooth has been the face of KiK's television advertising campaign.[6]

Criticism

KiK have been criticised by the Clean Clothes Campaign for their bad practises in countries such as Bangladesh, where factory workers, often children,[7] are paid as little as €18–24 per month.[8]

While running almost 50,000 secret credit ratings of staff,[9] overtime is often not paid,[10] despite accusations and lawsuits of KiK paying below minimum wage to their staff in Germany.[11]

Swastika-styled clothing racks

KiK's swastika-styled clothing racks

In 2009, a man from the German state Schleswig-Holstein pressed charges against KiK under Strafgesetzbuch § 86a, which outlaws the "use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations", for the chain using swastika-styled clothing racks in their shops.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Tengelmann-Chef gelobt Besserung bei Kik". Die Welt (in German). 26 August 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2010. 
  2. ↑ KiK erschließt weiteren Absatzmarkt, Tengelmann Warenhandelsgesellschaft KG, 15. März 2012
  3. ↑ "Qualität – KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH" (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  4. ↑ "Bochum mit KiK auf der Brust". Focus (in German). 28 June 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  5. ↑ Seele, Rainer (18 January 2009). "Alles, nur nicht Beate Uhse". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  6. ↑ Simon, Violetta (17 April 2009). "Pooth wirbt für Kik – Verona im Ausverkauf". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  7. ↑ Ehlert, Felix (8 May 2008). "Kinderarbeit nicht ausgeschlossen". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  8. ↑ "KiK-Betriebsratswahl als "Farce": Nur Assistent des Chefs wählbar". Die Presse (in German). 13 March 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  9. ↑ "Kik wieder im Kreuzfeuer der Kritik". Der Standard (in German). 25 September 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  10. ↑ "Firmenprofil: KiK". Clean Clothes Campaign (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  11. ↑ "Gericht stoppt Niedriglohn bei Textildiscounter". Der Spiegel (in German). 29 May 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2010. 
  12. ↑ Stahl, Volker (22 January 2009). "Große Aufregung um "Hakenkreuz-Ständer"". Hamburger Morgenpost (in German). Retrieved 21 January 2010. 

External links

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